In various applications in radio communication, a network communication requirement exists, i.e., a plurality of individual stations need transmit to and receive from one another. A foremost aspect of such network requirement is that of minimizing interference among the participating stations. A second aspect of such network requirement, particularly applicable in tactical military situations, is security, whereby compromise of the network is to be avoided. A particularly intolerable compromise situation is that of compromising the entire network by the compromise of a single participating station.
Prior art activity in network radio communication has involved numerous schemes and arrangements, as is indicated in the statement pursuant to 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 filed herewith and identifying various U.S. patents of relevance.
A primary practice in such prior art activity has been frequency-hopping, wherein the transmitting frequencies change with the passage of time for each participating station. Deman et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,554,668 and 4,554,669 are seen as typical in this respect in formulating frequency-hopping laws applicable among the participating stations of a network. Such Deman et al. laws are provided for each station independently of one another. Other approaches in such prior art patents look to the synchronization of participating stations on a time basis, typically derived from transmissions and contents thereof.
From applicant's viewpoint, such prior art approaches to network radio communication do not provide as high a degree of statisfaction of the foregoing requirement, particularly as respects its second compromise aspect.